Are herding dogs aggressive?
Sienna Barton
2025-06-28 14:02:42
Count answers: 10
Initially the family was worried about Gambini being aggressive, but after spending some time observing him, I noticed that he was mainly playing and occasionally just displaying his herding instincts. Herding breeds nip for a number of reasons, the most common one being that it is their DNA. Herding dogs may nip at heels or other pets, reflecting their instinct to herd. This behavior, often triggered by movement, is especially noticeable around young children. Some herding dogs might also nip as a way to get attention, out of boredom, and for most puppies, as a way of playing or teething. Because of these instincts it might seem like training a herding dog is more difficult than other breeds, but that’s not necessarily the case. A herding dog, like Gambini, just needs a little extra training and attention.
Cleo Gislason
2025-06-28 13:24:05
Count answers: 7
Aggression isn't so clean cut-technically any dog can behave aggressively. You can flip someone off, but not actually intend them any harm-this is still an act of aggression. If its predictable, you can call it an aggression problem, but I prefer to focus on the cause (anxiety, fear, uncertainty) than the behaviour itself (aggression) when talking freely, simply because it's hard to deal with aggression and most people don't understand that it doesn't mean they're not out to get you ALL the time. He doesn't want to do damage-that doesn't mean he's not stressed, it means he doesn't want to be in the situation he's been put in, and he needs a better way of being able to leave. Forgive him a little-he is actually scared, and not just faking it or jumping into fight mode for fun. Understanding how fear works can be tricky since it's not always rational, but it can be improved if you go slowly enough. He sounds like he's trying.
Idella Mosciski
2025-06-28 12:57:19
Count answers: 6
They retain their herding instincts and may sometimes nip at people’s heels or bump them in an effort to ‘herd’ their family, and may need to be trained not to do so. The herding instinct can be hard to live with. They might look as though they are taking part in a ‘chase’ game and running around after another dog. However, this will very quickly become a case of the collie trying to drive the other dog and snapping or barking at it if it doesn’t go the right way. Cats are another animal that a herding dog likes to chase. You will need to pay attention to your dog if they think they can chase the cat, and again, distract and reward for non-chasing.
Read also
- How do I stop my herding dog from nipping other dogs?
- How to tell if your dog has herding instincts?
- How do I stop my Border Collie from reacting to other dogs?
- How to train out herding instincts?
- How to stop aussie nipping?
- What command goes against a herding dog instincts?
- Why is my Border Collie so aggressive towards other dogs?
- How do I train my dog to not be reactive to other dogs?
- How to play with a herding dog?